Senior Nutrition Program of San Luis Obispo County
March 2013 Importance of Diabetes Maintenance What i s i t? Biabetes Nellitus is a complex metabolic alteiation maue of two types. Type I uiabetes iesults in a lack on insulin, a hoimone that iegulates glucose in bloou. Type II is a iesistance to insulin that causes high bloou glucose levels. As the 7 th leauing cause of ueath among auults 6S yeais anu oluei, attention to both lifestyle anu uiet is necessaiy. Why should I care? 0ncontiolleu bloou glucose levels can cause a vaiiety of health complications. Some of these may incluue heait uisease anu stioke, high bloou piessuie, blinuness, kiuney uisease anu neivous system complications. 0ften time, caieful management of bloou glucose thiough minuful eating habits will help an Relevance to Senior Nutrition Program Neals at SNP may contain 4 oi moie caibohyuiate seivings: V C giain, sometimes a staichy vegetable, V C fiuit anu 1 C of milk. As a geneial iule, consiuei saving pait oi paits of youi meal foi latei. The easiest thing to save coulu be milk oi fiuit. Souices: (1) Beinstein&Luggen. Nutiition foi the oluei auult. (2) http:www.uiabetes.oiguiabetes-basicsuiabetes-statistics Physical Activity Exeicise is valuable because it helps ieuuce insulin iesistance, which then iesults in lowei bloou glucose levels anu easiei management. Foi some oluei auults, it may be helpful to monitoi bloou glucose befoie anu aftei exeicise to avoiu hypoglycemia, oi low bloou glucose levels. Begin with a mouest goal of Su-4S minutes of aeiobic activity, like walking, S-S uays a week If hypoglycemia (6u-7u mlul Bu) uoes occui, an oluei auults shoulu ingest 1u-1S g of caibohyuiates. Some foous to consiuei incluue: Fiuit juice (4 oz) Nilk (8 oz) Baiu canuy (S oi 6 pieces) Sugai oi honey (1 Tbsp) What should my diet look like? Avoiu simple caibohyuiates, like juices anu canuy Spieau caibohyuiates thioughout the uay to pievent laige bloou glucose fluctuations Consiuei a uaily multivitamin supplement, especially foi those with ieuuce caloiic intake. Inciease fibei intake thiough whole giains anu fiuits anu vegetables But Im not diabetic An estimateu 6.2 million auults in Ameiica aie unuiagnoseu. Even if you uon't think you aie uiabetic, caie foi you uiet is still impoitant. Because unuiagnoseu uiabetes is moie common among oluei auults, some symptoms to be cautious of incluue fatigue, uecieaseu vision, slow wounu healing anu fiequent uiination. If you uisplay any of these symptoms anu aie suspicious, consult with youi meuical piactitionei.